The American College of Radiology (ACR) is the oldest and most experienced imaging accreditation body in the nation. The ACR awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of the facility equipment. The surveyors report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.

The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic-interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and nuclear medicine and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

Why should I care if my radiology office is accredited by ACR?

ACR accreditation demonstrates commitment to quality patient care.

ACR accreditation certifies that the staff and equipment have passed the ACR’s rigorous evaluation.

ACR accreditation programs provide a high level of confidence to your referring physician that only the highest quality of care is being provided by accredited facilities.

Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening

DRA in Middlebury will be offering low-dose, non-contrast CT imaging as a screening technique for lung cancer for people meeting specific criteria. Computed tomography is a radiographic imaging technique that can provide high quality images of the lungs during a single breath hold. Due to its speed and sensitivity in detecting small lung lesions, CT imaging has been proposed as a screening test for lung cancer in high risk individuals. The criteria are as follows:

Individual has no signs or symptoms suggestive of underlying lung cancer which includes, but is not limited to the following: unexplained cough, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), or unexplained weight loss of more than 15 pounds in the past year;
AND

Individual is between 55 – 74 years of age; AND

There is at least a 30 pack – year history of cigarette smoking; (30 pack smoker defined as ½ pack per day smoker for 60 years, 1 pack per day for 30 years, 2 pack per day for 15 years, etc.) AND

If the individual is a former smoker, that individual had quit smoking within the previous 15 years

This procedure is not necessarily an insurance covered procedure so patients need to check with their insurance companies before scheduling a screening CT. A doctor’s order is also necessary to schedule the CT. For an appointment call DRA’s Middlebury office at 203-758-2588.

Diagnostic Radiology Associates (DRA)

DRA complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.